ICC awaits police report on Pakistan scandal

International Cricket Council president Sharad Pawar on Monday ruled out any action against Pakistani players over a match-fixing scandal until investigations are completed.

"We have discussed it within the ICC and have decided to wait for the police investigation report," Pawar, a senior Indian cabinet minister, told reporters.

"After that we have to take a viewpoint of the two boards, in this case the Pakistan Cricket Board and the England and Wales Cricket Board.

"If anything is established, it will be viewed very seriously by the two boards and the ICC.

"I am absolutely confident that both boards will never encourage protecting anybody who has done a wrong thing," he said, calling the allegations themselves "quite serious".

Pakistani bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif found themselves under a cloud over the weekend after a man was arrested on suspicion of defrauding bookmakers during the Lord's Test against England.

The British News of the World tabloid said it paid 150,000 pounds (230,000 dollars, 185,000 euros) to a middleman in return for details about the timing of three no-balls in the match.

The report said Aamer and Asif delivered blatant no-balls at the exact points in the match indicated by the alleged fixer in advance.

Pawar said he was unaware that the middleman, Mazhar Majeed, told the tabloid that he worked for an "Indian party".

"I don't know," the former Indian cricket chief said. "The BCCI (Indian cricket board) will have to take a view on that.

"The BCCI is one of our members and I am sure if any serious matter is there, the BCCI will take cognizance of this.

"I can't come to a conclusion based on a video."

BCCI spokesman Rajiv Shukla had earlier on Monday dismissed any link to the middleman.

"The BCCI has got nothing to do with it," Shukla said. "Even if some Indian bookies are involved, the Indian police will look into the matter."